Soría versus Rivero again as sparks fly over "constitutionality" of Canarian tourism law

[Janet]

no ... but they can keep Turkey. Seriously. It's full of macho Turks, muslims, and earthquakes ... 

[Delderek]

You forgot, Belly dancers, dancing on genuine Turkish rugs from China, Kebabs, Hashish, and Turkish cigarettes, (delightfull). And prospective members of the E:U.

[Michael]

I don't know anyone who has been to Turkey that hasn't ended up with the shits. 

As for the star rating system, we stay in the La Pinta in Tenerife.

Now don't get me wrong, we love it because of the view, but seriously, 4 stars?

Janet, you were in our room once. 4 stars? 

[Janet]

Del --- EU member? NEVER! 

mac --- 4*? Good 3*, but a 4*? NEVER!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

I don't know anyone who has been to Turkey that hasn't ended up with the shits. 

Never in all the times I've been.  Istanbul, Ankara, the coast - no problems.

[Janet]

Madrid will, after all, issue an appeal against the Canarian tourism law. The Consejo de Ministros has approved the presentation of an appeal against Article 4.2, a) and c) of the Canarian tourist law as unconstitutional. The clauses being appealed are specifically concerned with the requirement in the law for hotel and tourist apartments in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife to be of 5* quality or greater.

Madrid, however, considers that such restriction is not an "environmental" or "territorial" issue, as stated in the Canarian law, but an economic one and thus violates legislation providing free access to and provision of services within the EU internal market. The national government argues that in this respect, the requirement for legal tourist accommodation to be exclusively of such a standard limits access to tourism, a restriction banned under Article 10.e ) of free access legislation.

Given the arguments that have raged in the past about "Bolkestein", I would draw particular attention to the fact that there is absolutely no issue here, nor mention of or reference to, accommodation currently considered illegal. Indeed Madrid recognizes utterly the Canaries' absolute right to ban holiday letting in residential properties, and to require privately owned tourist accommodation to be let through a sole agent. JA

[Janet]

The Canarian government said yesterday that the Constitutional Court has backed its tourism law and lifted the suspension imposed when Madrid appealed Article 4.2, a) and c) of the Canarian tourist law as unconstitutional. The clauses being appealed were specifically concerned with the requirement in the law for hotel and tourist apartments to be of 5* quality or greater.

The court said that contrary to Madrid's claim that the Canarian government's law was restrictive by limiting new developments, the law in fact gave full scope for them, provided they were of the permitted luxury quality, and that the alleged economic damage from the prohibition of 4* or lower quality accomodation could not, of itself, arise from the clauses requiring tourist accommodation to be of 5* or higher quality.

Fernando Rios, regional commissioner for the Development of Self-Government and Institutional Reforms, welcomed the Court's decision and the reinstatement of the whole of last year's new tourism law. Commissioner Rios said that the court's decision confirmed the Canarian government's view that the appeal had been politically motivated, and its right to legislate regionally in accordance with its own tourism policy. He regretted the delay that the appeal had caused, and the investments that had been jeopardised for the construction of new luxury developments.

Sr Rios also confirmed that the promised assessment and evaluation of the new legislation is being undertaken at this present moment, and reiterated the Government's willingness to talk to all involved in tourism in the Canary Islands to ensure that the reviewed law is the best possible vehicle to carry out the government's policy of renovation and modernization. JA